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A landscape gardener wept in the dock as he was jailed for deliberately running down two teenagers in his van while he was drunk.

Benjamin Allerton, who's from Selby, drove over the tent in which they were camping after telling them they had five seconds to run. The judge at York Crown Court jailed Allerton for four years also banned him from driving for eighteen months.

"What began as a fun, camping adventure for the teenagers, turned into a terrifying nightmare during which they were in fear for their lives. Allerton used his vehicle as a weapon to cause serious injuries, and it goes without saying that the consequences could have been much worse. "

“Although we are very pleased that the young man made a speedy recovery from his injuries, the incident occurred in the run-up to his GCSEs and meant he missed two weeks of school at a crucial time, and once he returned, had to rely on fellow pupils taking his notes."

"The incident has also affected the young girl’s confidence, leaving her scared to go out or be at home on her own. I hope that now justice has been done, she can now try to put this traumatic time behind her and move on with her life."

"I would like to pay tribute to all of the young victims and witnesses who assisted the investigation, it is not an easy thing to go through. “We are pleased that yesterday’s guilty plea spared the young victims the ordeal of having to re-live their nightmare in court."

The sentence reflects the seriousness of the incident and Allerton now has ample time to reflect on what he has done.”

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A landscape gardener from Selby in North Yorkshire has been jailed for four years after he drove his van at teenagers camping in a field. Twenty five year old Benjamin Allerton wept in the deck as he was sentenced at York Crown Court for two counts of grevious bodily harm.

The court heard that Allerton had been drunk when he had tried to join a group of teenangers camping in fields at Barlby. He had thrown petrol on their campfire and felled trees with a chainsaw he took from his van.

He later drove the vehicle into a tent, injuring a 16 year old boy and leaving a 13 year old girl with bruising. The judge said it gave him no pleasure whatsoever to jail Allerton as he was a person of positive good character and his character reference had been "afffectionate, indeed glowing."

A court has heard how a gardener from North Yorkshire drove his van into two teenagers who were camping in a field in a bid to hurt them.

25-year-old Benjamin Allerton from Selby flattened their tent and ploughed into the boy and girl as they fled.

Andrew Dallas, prosecuting, told York Crown Court a fight broke out and Allerton was punched to the ground. He added that, according to witnesses, he returned later, ploughing into a tent and then drove at a 13-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy.

Allerton was initially charged with two counts of attempted murder but he admitted causing GBH with intent and attempting to cause GBH with intent, and the original charges were dropped. He has been remanded in custody until tomorrow, when his mitigation will be heard and he is due to be sentenced.